Th funny thing is, I would have made my preorder already if the shop I was going to get it from didn't have problems with its server. I couldn't confirm the preorder because I didn't receive an email with the link to do it. I don't know now if I should buy it, I'm torn.

But I know one thing for sure - CyberEvil is showing favoritism for NG and that's not cool if you're a reviewer. I can see that he don't like random posters talking about the game not even having it but to say that everyone who has a problem with the game is wrong is simply stupid and no matter how eloquent CyberEvil can be, he's not coming as an intelligent reviewer - he's coming as an intelligent snob.

The game has issues that are not "derived from a comparison to a different game". Just the statues fights are tacked on and you can't possibly defend them. But whatever, man. Think that the game is rock solid and pwns other NGs. It's your opinion and I'm sure you won't change your mind just because you're wrong. You're too proud for that.

EDIT:

OK, the email came in. The game is bought.

Show me where I said, or even implied, anything of the sort. Sounds like perception to me. To your criticism of the statue fights, they're almost exactly like the final boss of NG2 and like half of the bosses from God of War minus the QTEs. There's nothing wrong with them with the possible exception that the Statue of Liberty gets a bit insane with all of the AoE stuff.

Also, I'm a fan of the series. If you can go out and find a reviewer who has never written a review for a game or franchise he is a fan of, be my guest. Reviews by their very nature are massively opinionated. Go check Metacritic for their reviews. I'm not without my qualms about the game but I am overwhelmingly positive about this game. I've had sections of every game up to this point that I couldn't stand (Econtra Babel Spectus in NG/B/S and pretty much all of Chapter 9 in NG2), not to mention mechanics I didn't like (extended guard stun and juggle properties in NG2 most specifically). NGS2 irons out just about all of the rough patches, maintains a highly stable framerate almost throughout, has very little tearing (even NG2 on the 360 had more and wasn't even 720p, let alone 1080), and the extra content added, even if some of it is admittedly shallow (your statue fights), it is still EXTRA and it doesn't exactly lack quality. Maybe could have been better, but by no means does any of the extra content feel half-assed.

Say what you will about me, but you obviously have no idea how I work, write, or even how to take posts I make. Pay more attention. Despite my sometimes ridiculously aggressive sense of humor, I'm pretty level-headed and when I write I'm about as objective as you can get for an opinion-based piece. You want an example of a review by a fan? Go read IGN's BlazBlue review. Not only does he admit outright that he's a massive fan and that he loves it, but his review is also very accurate and conveys that he still went in with an objective viewpoint. It's not our fault when a title we review happens to live up to our standards and hopes._________________

Last edited by CyberEvil on Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:36 am; edited 1 time in total

In NG1 it was ok but NG2 changed so much I never used this thing. It just makes no sense to me using a windmill shuriken in a group of IS ninjas + offscreen attacks.

Sure, let's remove a weapon that's been in every Legit Ninja Gaiden game simply because people actually use it for the small part of "Karma Running" this game still had.
If WS should be removed because it wasn't useful FOR YOU then why didn't they remove the Vigoorian Flails for me, seeing how I find that weapon unuseful. Why didn't they remove the Bow, seeing how I never used it in NGII except for the parts where I HAVE to (which again someone said they did with IS).

And for your logic with Ayane always having them, think about it. WHEN did she get those Kunais?
Right, NG1.
When did Ryu get the Incendiary Shuriken?
Right, NG1.
Which one of them had their Incendiary Shuriken get the function to EXPLODE first?
Ryu's IS. Ayane's were just tips.

They could've given Ayane's Shuriken a different function and no one would've minded. (And you wouldn't too, because you never would've known it could explode).
In fact, Ayane's Chapter Intro showed her Incendiary Shuriken (which by the way is called "Flash Kunais") releasing Purple Mist and blinding the enemy. Gee, that would've been a good way to return the Smoke Bombs from NGS... but nah...

But still, even as her Flash Kunai already have the function to explode, that still wouldn't excuse excluding Ryu's IS, simply because the game where Ayane GOT her Kunais in the first place is also the same game where Ryu had the Incendiary Shuriken, and their origin and design came first too!_________________

CyberEvil, I wasn't talking about those statues from a gameplay perspective - they're just generic to the point you shouldn't even bother to talk about how you fight them.

The problem is the way they've implemented them. I know NG is all about gameplay but the atmosphere is also important. I don't fancy fighting bosses thrown in without any sense of style and logic, just to have something new to show off.

Statue of Liberty have some sense, yeah, but that Buddha fight is just forced to the point that it's retarded. Again, nothing game-braking but this isn't something TN should be proud of as it makes the game feel patched from random ideas thrown together.

Besides - why should TN copy GoW? Their series was always different. Now they try to put GoW-like fights to... Yeah, sell better. But that won't work because people don't buy NG for GoW-like experience.

They could've given Ayane's Shuriken a different function and no one would've minded. (And you wouldn't too, because you never would've known it could explode).
In fact, Ayane's Chapter Intro showed her Incendiary Shuriken (which by the way is called "Flash Kunais") releasing Purple Mist and blinding the enemy. Gee, that would've been a good way to return the Smoke Bombs from NGS... but nah...

But still, even as her Flash Kunai already have the function to explode, that still wouldn't excuse excluding Ryu's IS, simply because the game where Ayane GOT her Kunais in the first place is also the same game where Ryu had the Incendiary Shuriken, and their origin and design came first too!

I will miss the Windmill Shuriken and Incendiary Shuriken, but its okay even if they are not in.
Ryu is already powerful enough. Maybe they will be in if Team Ninja patch a DLC for it after the game release or make them free DLC. Team Ninja did said they plan for some DLC so I guess we will see what they are.

Why I didn't canceled my pre-order the other day was because I come to a conclusion that no game was perfect like human, nobody was perfect.

$70 isn't that much to me, I could made more than $70 a month so I don't give a damn about money paper.
Cheer up guys, this game isn't perfect, but isn't bad either. Just enjoy and have fun._________________

CyberEvil, I wasn't talking about those statues from a gameplay perspective - they're just generic to the point you shouldn't even bother to talk about how you fight them.

The problem is the way they've implemented them. I know NG is all about gameplay but the atmosphere is also important. I don't fancy fighting bosses thrown in without any sense of style and logic, just to have something new to show off.

Statue of Liberty have some sense, yeah, but that Buddha fight is just forced to the point that it's retarded. Again, nothing game-braking but this isn't something TN should be proud of as it makes the game feel patched from random ideas thrown together.

This is obviously a matter of taste, but that patched-together feel is something I've come to expect from NG. Imagine the level guy getting the design directions for Tairon:

Quote:

TAIRON is a VAGUELY EUROPEAN CITY.

None of us has ever been in a EUROPEAN CITY, but there are certain typically EUROPEAN ELEMENTS that we should include for atmosphere and immersion:

- a CATHEDRAL
- somebody called HANS
- an AQUEDUCT
- TRAINS
- a man wearing a BOWLER HAT with an EASTERN EUROPEAN ACCENT
- a CLOCK TOWER (just like Big Ben!)
- a MILITARY BASE
- a ZEPPELIN (which at one point should BURST INTO FLAMES)
- an EGYPTIAN TOMB (EGYPT is in EUROPE, right?)
- an UNDERGROUND VOLCANIC CAVE
- an UNDERGROUND ICY CAVERN
- a MOAT with a SUNKEN SHIP
- a GREEK LABYRINTH
- a MAYAN PYRAMID
- a VOLCANO (what do you mean we already had a volcano) (okay but make this one ERUPT)

I love NG, but there really isn't much coherence to ruin. In fact, maybe that's part of the charm (Ryu is in FUTURISTIC TOKYO. There are FLYING CARS. He must fight a GIGANTIC BUDDHA STATUE!).

Horrible Oscar, I know where you're coming from but really, you're not looking at this from a right angle.

NG1 is Zelda for the mature (not that mature people don't play Zelda), a Zelda by Itagaki. That's why there are all those temples, that's why there are all those myths, all those RPG elements etc. It's not something that's been thrown just for the sake of having some content in the game. It was Itagaki's vision - a crazy one, stupid at some points, but a vision nonetheless.

With NGS2, we don't have a vision for a game, we have a vision for marketing. That Buddha is far more forced than any bullshit that we have seen in NG1. But the game still should be fun because the gameplay is there. The problem is that in the old days other parts were better.

Anyway - I wish TN will understand that a patch for NGS2 is needed, at the very least they should add in-game music.

@ CyberEvil

Quote:

has very little tearing (even NG2 on the 360 had more and wasn't even 720p, let alone 1080)

So the final build fix tearing issues of the demo that had two times bigger tearing than NGII? That would be great because I can't stand the tearing in the demo.

As for the rest of your post. Yes, this feels much better than NGII but at the same time there are things that went wrong, as many people already stated. The lack of WS is just an example. I can totally understand your excitement for the game but you clearly are too forgivable for TN. They had only a year but they didn't have to make all those stupid choices.

In the end, all that matters is whether the games sells high or not but I don't believe it sell high and that makes all those changes for the casuals even more stupid. Why I think it won't sell high? It just shows, there's not much of interest for this game. TN won't suddenly attract many people by showing three playable dolls with shakable boobs and making the game easier. TN is so 90s in many aspects.

Fair enough, if there's a connection or reason behind the mish mash of themes, it certainly escapes me. The cultural connections just seem kinda thrown in with no explanation, and the animeish cliché villains certainly don't help.

In the end it doesn't bother me. For all it's faults, the NG story is inobtrusive. Varied settings to kick tail against is all I want and expect, and GIANT BUDDHA STATUES fit in that just fine.

Small ones, just like in Zelda - leveling of weapons, bracelets, scarabs, potions and all that crap.

Ahh, fair enough. I thought you meant something storywise since collectibles or upgrades are almost impossible to avoid in games these days. NG is pretty much as pure a modern action game as you can get.